Dolly Parton revealed why she made Sabrina Carpenter change explicit lyric in 'Please Please Please' song

Country music fans have been left heartbroken after catching news of Dolly Parton's passing earlier this week on Tuesday (25 August).

The 'Jolene' singer died aged 80 following a 'brief battle with cancer', and tributes have since been pouring in across the globe, including from her goddaughter Miley Cyrus, Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Mick Jagger, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, who have all detailed Dolly's impact and her legacy, as both a musician and a humanitarian.

Sabrina Carpenter also shared a touching tribute on Instagram on Wednesday (26 August).

She shared a series of black and white photos of her and Dolly taken from their music video for the hit track 'Please Please Please' from her 2024 Short n' Sweet album.

"Oh, Dolly. The only thing I could say after we first met was 'she really is an angel walking the earth' and 'we look like we could be sisters!'" Sabrina began.

"I will cherish our laughter and conversations, and I will keep your wisdom, your playful outlook on life, and perfect sense of humour in my pocket for the rainy days. There will never be another you, and how lucky are we all to have experienced your singular magic as well as your once in a lifetime voice, songs, and heart."

She concluded: "Your light will be something the world will search forever to find again. I will always love you."

Following the tribute, fans are remembering that Dolly actually made Sabrina change one particularly explicit lyric on the song they sang together.

One X user penned: "This is so cute, but it’s absolutely sending me that Dolly made Sabrina change the lyrics from 'don’t embarrass me motherf*cker' to 'don’t embarrass me like the others', but let her keep the premise of the video being that she beat that man and threw him in the back of the truck."

A second chirped: "LMAOOO Dolly drew the line at one swear word but apparently had zero issues with the full-on truck disposal plot."

"Dolly said 'watch the language' but apparently the truck full of chaos was perfectly fine," quipped a third as a fourth gushed: "That’s so Dolly of her."

A fifth beamed: "Well, yeah. That’s how southern ladies roll."

"Dolly was a girls' girl and ALSO a lady," wrote another, and a final fan echoed: "She was and forever will be an icon."

Speaking to Knoxville News, Dolly revealed exactly why she made the lyric tweak.

"Of course, she can talk a little bad now and then. I told her, I said, now, I don’t cuss. I don’t make fun of Jesus. I don’t talk bad about God, and I don’t say dirty words on camera, but known to if I get mad enough," she shared.

So, when the pair recorded their version of the song, they made some changes that took out the explicit word from the chorus, in which Dolly can be heard singing harmonies behind Sabrina.

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.